The Blackness of the Veil: A Close Reading of Hawthorne's Imagery Amanda Chen 10th Grade

After years of living in conformist Puritan North America, Nathaniel Hawthorne was inspired to create works of literature to stand against its flaws. In his work The Minister’s Black Veil, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes the black color of Hooper’s veil in order to depict the flawed, conformist nature of Puritan North America, and further, to convey his own thoughts about society during that time period. It can be inferred that the author strategically chose the color black to be the color of the veil because of the fact that black is often associated with secrecy, negativity, and its ability to serve as an overcast. The opaque characteristic of black suggests that there is an indestructible barrier built around society that keeps them all within the boundaries of conformity and prevents them from living by their own instinct. The dark nature of black further suggests a larger implication, which touches upon impurity and the unspoken negativity that lingers throughout society. Lastly, its unilluminated essence serves as a representation of Hawthorne’s darkened impression of the norms and values during that time period. With this careful utilization of black, Hawthorne is able to show the flawed nature of society’s blind adherence,...